Before & After



“Can you tell me the story about the day you rescued me again?” 

Rescuing abandoned animals and caring for them is not easy. There are good days when spirits are uplifted, and we know why we’re doing this. And then there are the bad days, when we lose an animal we had tried hard to save. On such days we remember Bufford (previously known as Veterinario). He taught us a lot during the months he was with us.

When Veterinario first came to us he was as weak as a kitten, but we could see that he wasn’t about to give up the fight. And despite the fact that the humans who were supposed to be looking after him did not do a very good job he did not lose his faith in life and had succeeded in maintaining a positive attitude. We learned from his strength of spirit and his will to live, and we learned from his nobility and his love for others – which never wavered despite all he had been through and the abuse he had suffered. Read his story here.

On the 26th of April 2019 we received another sad surprise: a Rottweiler, abandoned outside the Shelter for reasons that we’ll never know. Despite being – to say the least – a large dog, he weighed a mere 45lbs. As thin as a rake, malnourished and anaemic, on top of which he was so weak he couldn’t walk – we had to bring him to the Shelter in a wheelbarrow.

The Vet examined him and recommended that we feed him up so he could gain some weight and get some strength back before being vaccinated, having his skin problem treated (he hardly had any hair) and his flea infestation cured.

At first, we didn’t think he had much chance of recovery, but this dog is a fighter and was not about to give up, and recover he did. The first thing he got back was his appetite, demolishing three meals a day.

We started getting our hopes up when he began to gain weight and to get his strength back with daily short walks. His wounds started healing and his coat began to grow back, and fnally he turned into the magnificent 70lb dog that he was supposed to be. Not only that, but he found how to give the affection he had nurtured in his great big heart to any human he could: he was always looking for someone to scratch his head. We called him Veterinario.

In May 2019 Veterinario met Lauren, a student from Baylor University in Texas (USA) who was part of Baylor’s annual volunteering visit to AWARE. Veterinario stole Lauren’s heart, and since Veterinario had made a complete recovery he was able to travel to Texas and meet his new family.

Congratulations to Veterinario – now called Bufford and weighing a sturdy 100lbs – and to Lauren and her family! For our part we are very happy that Veterinario now has the love and care that he deserves.

Here you can find more Aware´s miracles: